High frequency performance hardline connector

Abstract

A hardline connector for providing high frequency performance includes a body portion configured to be coupled with an interface port. The body portion is configured to house a collet and an insulator, the collet includes a pin portion and a gripping portion that is configured to receive a center conductor of a hardline coaxial cable, and the gripping portion is configured to define a forward facing surface at a forward end of the gripping portion of the collet. The body portion is configured to minimize peaks and valleys of impedance levels within the connector relative to a desired 75 ohm impedance such that the hardline connector is configured to improve return loss performance over a wider frequency bandwidth without degrading electrical, mechanical, and environmental performance of the connector by minimizing peaks and valleys of impedance levels within the connector relative to a desired 75 ohm impedance. The hardline connector is configured to achieve a return loss of −20 dB or better over a frequency range of 5 MHz to 3 GHz.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hardline connector for providing high frequency performance comprising:
 a front body assembly configured to be threadedly coupled with an interface port;   a mid body assembly configured to be threadedly coupled with the front body assembly;   a back nut assembly configured to be threadedly coupled with the mid body housing;   wherein the front body assembly includes a front body housing, a collet, and a nonconductive collet insulator configured to electrically insulate the collet from the front body housing;   wherein the front body housing is configured to house the collet and the collet insulator;   wherein the collet includes a pin portion that is configured to extend through the collet insulator and extend from a forward end of the front body housing and a gripping portion that is configured to receive a center conductor of a hardline coaxial cable;   wherein the collet includes a stepped transition from the pin portion to gripping portion that is configured to define a forward facing surface at a forward end of the gripping portion of the collet;   wherein the mid body assembly includes a mid body housing and a nonconductive seizure bushing;   wherein the mid body housing includes a forward end that is configured to be threadedly coupled with a rearward end of the front body housing and a rearward end that is configured to receive the hardline coaxial cable;   wherein a forward facing surface of the seizure bushing includes a plurality of fins that are configured to extend in the forward direction and to be received in a plurality of longitudinal grooves in an inner wall of the front body housing when the mid body housing is threadedly coupled with the front body housing such that the seizure bushing is prevented from rotating relative to the front body housing;   wherein a bore portion of the front body housing that surrounds the gripping portion of the collet includes a substantially constant inside diameter and the gripping portion of the collet includes a substantially constant outside diameter so as to minimize peaks and valleys of impedance levels within the connector relative to a desired 75 ohm impedance such that the hardline connector is configured to improve return loss performance over a wider frequency bandwidth without degrading electrical, mechanical, and environmental performance of the connector by minimizing peaks and valleys of impedance levels within the connector relative to a desired 75 ohm impedance;   wherein the collet insulator extends from a rearward facing surface of an end wall at the forward end of the front body housing to the forward facing surface at the forward end of the gripping portion of the collet without covering the gripping portion and includes radially spaced apart inner and outer cylindrical walls connected to one another at a forward end by a radial wall and configured to define a hollowed out region so as to minimize peaks and valleys of impedance levels within the connector relative to a desired 75 ohm impedance such that the hardline connector is configured to improve return loss performance over a wider frequency bandwidth without degrading electrical, mechanical, and environmental performance of the connector by minimizing peaks and valleys of impedance levels within the connector relative to a desired 75 ohm impedance; and   wherein the hardline connector is configured to achieve a return loss of −20 dB or better over a frequency range of 5 MHz to 6 GHz.   
     
     
         2 . The hardline connector of  claim 1 , wherein the hardline connector is configured to achieve a return loss of −30 dB to −35 dB or better over a frequency range of 5 MHz to 3 GHz. 
     
     
         3 . The hardline connector of  claim 1 , wherein the hardline connector is configured to achieve an insertion loss of −0.2 dB or better over a frequency range of 5 MHz to 6 GHz. 
     
     
         4 . The hardline connector of  claim 1 , wherein the hardline connector is configured to achieve an insertion loss of −0.15 dB or better over a frequency range of 5 MHz to 3 GHz. 
     
     
         5 . The hardline connector of  claim 1 , wherein the mid body assembly includes a tubular conductive metal mandrel supported within the mid body housing. 
     
     
         6 . The hardline connector of  claim 5 , wherein the mid body assembly includes a clamp radially surrounding a portion of the conductive metal mandrel and a ramp radially surrounding at least a portion of the clamp; and
 wherein the ramp is configured to be moved forward relative to the clamp when the back nut assembly is threadedly coupled with the mid body assembly such that such that the ramp and the clamp are configured to engage one another, thereby causing the clamp to radially compress an outer conductor of the hardline coaxial cable onto the tubular conductive metal mandrel.   
     
     
         7 . The hardline connector of  claim 6 , wherein clamp comprises a split ring, and the ramp comprises a tubular ramp. 
     
     
         8 . The hardline connector of  claim 6 , wherein the back nut assembly includes a back nut, a seal driver, and an O-ring;
 wherein the back nut has a forward end that is configured to be threadedly coupled with a rearward end of the mid body housing and to receive the hardline coaxial cable; and   wherein the seal driver is configured to be urged in a rearward direction relative to the back nut when the back nut is threadedly coupled with the mid body housing so as to compress the O-ring to provide a seal between the back nut and the hardline coaxial cable.   
     
     
         9 . A hardline connector for providing high frequency performance comprising:
 a front body portion configured to be coupled with an interface port;   a mid body portion configured to be coupled with the front body portion;   a back nut portion configured to be coupled with the mid body portion;   wherein the front body portion is configured to house a conductive collet and a nonconductive collet insulator configured to electrically insulate the collet from the front body portion;   wherein the collet includes a pin portion that is configured to extend from a forward end of the front body portion and a gripping portion that is configured to receive a center conductor of a hardline coaxial cable;   wherein the collet includes a stepped transition from the pin portion to gripping portion that is configured to define a forward facing surface at a forward end of the gripping portion of the collet;   wherein the front body portion includes a bore portion that is configured to surround the gripping portion of the collet and includes a substantially constant inside diameter, and the gripping portion of the collet includes a substantially constant outside diameter so as to minimize peaks and valleys of impedance levels within the connector relative to a desired 75 ohm impedance such that the hardline connector is configured to improve return loss performance over a wider frequency bandwidth without degrading electrical, mechanical, and environmental performance of the connector by minimizing peaks and valleys of impedance levels within the connector relative to a desired 75 ohm impedance;   wherein the collet insulator extends from a rearward facing surface of an end wall at the forward end of the front body portion to the forward facing surface at the forward end of the gripping portion of the collet without covering the gripping portion and includes radially spaced apart inner and outer cylindrical walls connected to one another at a forward end by a radial wall and configured to define a hollowed out region so as to minimize peaks and valleys of impedance levels within the connector relative to a desired 75 ohm impedance such that the hardline connector is configured to improve return loss performance over a wider frequency bandwidth without degrading electrical, mechanical, and environmental performance of the connector by minimizing peaks and valleys of impedance levels within the connector relative to a desired 75 ohm impedance; and   wherein the hardline connector is configured to achieve a return loss of −20 dB or better over a frequency range of 5 MHz to 6 GHz.   
     
     
         10 . The hardline connector of  claim 9 , wherein the hardline connector is configured to achieve a return loss of −30 dB to −35 dB or better over a frequency range of 5 MHz to 3 GHz. 
     
     
         11 . The hardline connector of  claim 9 , wherein the hardline connector is configured to achieve an insertion loss of −0.2 dB or better over a frequency range of 5 MHz to 6 GHz. 
     
     
         12 . The hardline connector of claim  0 , wherein the hardline connector is configured to achieve an insertion loss of −0.15 dB or better over a frequency range of 5 MHz to 3 GHz. 
     
     
         13 . The hardline connector of  claim 9 , wherein the mid body portion is configured to house a nonconductive seizure bushing and includes a forward end that is configured to be threadedly coupled with a rearward end of the front body portion and a rearward end that is configured to receive the hardline coaxial cable; and
 wherein a forward facing surface of the seizure bushing includes a plurality of fins that are configured to extend in the forward direction and to be received in a plurality of longitudinal grooves in an inner wall of the front body portion when the mid body portion is threadedly coupled with the front body portion such that the seizure bushing is prevented from rotating relative to the front body portion.   
     
     
         14 . The hardline connector of  claim 13 , wherein the mid body portion is configured to house a conductive mandrel. 
     
     
         15 . The hardline connector of  claim 14 , wherein the mid body portion is configured to house a clamp radially surrounding a portion of the conductive mandrel and a ramp radially surrounding at least a portion of the clamp; and
 wherein the ramp is configured to be moved forward relative to the clamp when the back nut portion is coupled with the mid body portion such that such that the ramp and the clamp are configured to engage one another, thereby causing the clamp to radially compress an outer conductor of the hardline coaxial cable onto the conductive mandrel.   
     
     
         16 . The hardline connector of  claim 15 , wherein clamp comprises a split ring, and the ramp comprises a tubular ramp. 
     
     
         17 . The hardline connector of  claim 14 , wherein the back nut portion is configured to house a seal driver;
 wherein the back nut portion has a forward end that is configured to be threadedly coupled with a rearward end of the mid body portion and to receive the hardline coaxial cable; and   wherein the seal driver is configured to be urged in a rearward direction relative to the back nut portion when the back nut portion is threadedly coupled with the mid body portion so as to compress an O-ring to provide a seal between the back nut portion and the hardline coaxial cable.   
     
     
         18 . A hardline connector for providing high frequency performance comprising:
 a body portion configured to be coupled with an interface port;   wherein the body portion is configured to house a collet and an insulator;   wherein the collet includes a pin portion and a gripping portion that is configured to receive a center conductor of a hardline coaxial cable;   wherein the gripping portion is configured to define a forward facing surface at a forward end of the gripping portion of the collet;   wherein the body portion is configured to minimize peaks and valleys of impedance levels within the connector relative to a desired 75 ohm impedance such that the hardline connector is configured to improve return loss performance over a wider frequency bandwidth without degrading electrical, mechanical, and environmental performance of the connector by minimizing peaks and valleys of impedance levels within the connector relative to a desired 75 ohm impedance; and   wherein the hardline connector is configured to achieve a return loss of −20 dB or better over a frequency range of 5 MHz to 6 GHz.   
     
     
         19 . The hardline connector of  claim 18 , wherein the hardline connector is configured to achieve a return loss of −30 dB to −35 dB or better over a frequency range of 5 MHz to 3 GHz. 
     
     
         20 . The hardline connector of  claim 18 , wherein the hardline connector is configured to achieve an insertion loss of −0.2 dB or better over a frequency range of 5 MHz to 6 GHz. 
     
     
         21 . The hardline connector of  claim 18 , wherein the hardline connector is configured to achieve an insertion loss of −0.15 dB or better over a frequency range of 5 MHz to 3 GHz. 
     
     
         22 . The hardline connector of  claim 21 , wherein the body portion includes a bore portion that is configured to surround the gripping portion of the collet and includes a substantially constant inside diameter, and the gripping portion of the collet includes a substantially constant outside diameter so as to minimize peaks and valleys of impedance levels within the connector relative to a desired 75 ohm impedance. 
     
     
         23 . The hardline connector of  claim 21 , wherein the insulator is configured to minimize peaks and valleys of impedance levels within the connector relative to a desired 75 ohm impedance such that the hardline connector is configured to improve return loss performance over a wider frequency bandwidth without degrading electrical, mechanical, and environmental performance of the connector by minimizing peaks and valleys of impedance levels within the connector relative to a desired 75 ohm impedance 
     
     
         24 . The hardline connector of  claim 23 , wherein the insulator is configured to extend from a rearward facing surface of an end wall at the forward end of the body portion to the forward facing surface at the forward end of the gripping portion of the collet without covering the gripping portion and includes radially spaced apart inner and outer cylindrical walls connected to one another at a forward end by a radial wall and configured to define a hollowed out region so as to minimize peaks and valleys of impedance levels within the connector relative to a desired 75 ohm impedance. 
     
     
         25 . The hardline connector of  claim 21 , wherein the collet includes a stepped transition from the pin portion to the gripping portion that is configured to define the forward facing surface at the forward end of the gripping portion. 
     
     
         26 . The hardline connector of  claim 21 , wherein the collet comprises a conductive collet, and the insulator is configured to electrically insulate the collet from the body portion. 
     
     
         27 . The hardline connector of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a second body portion configured to be coupled with the body portion;   wherein the second body portion is configured to house a nonconductive seizure bushing and includes a forward end that is configured to be threadedly coupled with a rearward end of the body portion and a rearward end that is configured to receive the hardline coaxial cable; and   wherein a forward facing surface of the seizure bushing includes a plurality of fins that are configured to extend in the forward direction and to be received in a plurality of longitudinal grooves in an inner wall of the body portion when the second body portion is threadedly coupled with the body portion such that the seizure bushing is prevented from rotating relative to the body portion.   
     
     
         28 . The hardline connector of  claim 27 , wherein the second body portion is configured to house a conductive mandrel. 
     
     
         29 . The hardline connector of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 a third body portion configured to be coupled with the second body portion;   wherein the second body portion is configured to house a clamp radially surrounding a portion of the conductive mandrel and a ramp radially surrounding at least a portion of the clamp; and   wherein the ramp is configured to be moved forward relative to the clamp when the third body portion is coupled with the second body portion such that such that the ramp and the clamp are configured to engage one another, thereby causing the clamp to radially compress an outer conductor of the hardline coaxial cable onto the conductive mandrel.   
     
     
         30 . The hardline connector of  claim 29 , wherein clamp comprises a split ring, and the ramp comprises a tubular ramp. 
     
     
         31 . The hardline connector of  claim 30 , wherein the third body portion is configured to house a seal driver;
 wherein the third body portion has a forward end that is configured to be threadedly coupled with a rearward end of the second body portion and to receive the hardline coaxial cable; and   wherein the seal driver is configured to be urged in a rearward direction relative to the third body portion when the third body portion is threadedly coupled with the second body portion so as to compress an O-ring to provide a seal between the third body portion and the hardline coaxial cable.